Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has singled out Isack Hadjar as the standout rookie of the 2025 Formula 1 season, highlighting the French driver as the favorite to join Max Verstappen in the Red Bull lineup for 2026.
The Austrian manager’s soft spot for Hadjar
Choosing the best debutant of the year is never easy. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and Gabriel Bortoleto all delivered impressive performances considering the machinery available, making it difficult to rank them definitively. What matters most for these drivers is not necessarily who was the absolute best in 2025, but that they proved they can remain at the top level of motorsport throughout their careers—especially now that the number of available F1 seats returns to 22 in 2026, instead of just 20.
For Helmut Marko, however, the choice is clear: Isack Hadjar stands out. The Austrian manager expressed his view in his column on speedweek.com, stating that “Hadjar, not just for me, is the revelation of the season. He would be even higher in the Drivers’ standings if he hadn’t faced power unit issues in four races.”
Performance highlights and the Red Bull seat
At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Liam Lawson finished ahead of Isack Hadjar in seventh place by perfectly executing a one-stop strategy. Despite that, Lawson has fallen out of Marko’s favor, while Hadjar remains the strong favorite for a Red Bull seat in 2026. Helmut Marko commented: “Lawson has found his rhythm at Racing Bulls, but his performances are still inconsistent. When the car is problem-free, Hadjar is a safe bet for the top 10, and that is very promising for his future.”
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